Reenforcing girth



.l. W. LESLIE.

REENFORGING GIRTH.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1920.

Patented Dec. 5, 1 922.

' mv szsa Patented Dec. 5 1922..

PATENT. OFFICE.

JOHN W. LESLIE, OF EVANS'ION, ILLINOIS.

REENFORCING GIRTH.

Application file'd March 15, 1920. SeriaLNo. 365,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. LESLIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Evanston, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvented an Improvement in Reenforcing Girths, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to reenforcing girths for use in forming jointsinmetallic tensional box binders, known as box strap, or the like; and hasfor its object the production of a girth of simple and economicalconstruction, and having advantages in its application and usehereinafter more specifically pointed out.

In the drawings which constitute merely an illustrative embodiment ofthe invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in cross section, showing my newreenforcing girth in the process of being applied to 11mtuallyoverlapped strap ends.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view showing the girth as applied to saidstrap ends, prior to the joint forming operation,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the girth at a succeedingstage in the jointforming process,

Fig. 4 is a side viewof a joint formed with my reenforcing girth,

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the joint, and

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on lines 66 of Fig. 4.

In the drawings, the two ends of a binder, such as a flat tensionalmetallic box strap are shown in their ,relative position when the binderis applied about a box or package, with its ends 1 and 2 overlapped andsuperposed in alignment. The reenforcing girth herein described isapplicable to said overlapped and superposed ends and serves to form anelement of a joint whereby saidends are joined together.

The reenforcing girth of my invention comprises a back piece 3, shapedto accord with the upper face of the top strap 2, and of appropriatedimensions, so that the back piece 3 will lie smoothly on and makesubstantially complete surface contact with said top face. Formedintegrally with the back piece 3 are a pair of downwardly and outwardlyextending flanges 4; and these flanges are recurved as indicated at 5 toextend upwardly and inwardly (toward the interior surface of the backpiece 3), and are preferably prolonged substantially so that their ends6v extend inwardly beyond the angles 7 between the back piece 3 and theflanges 4.

It being understood that the reenforcing girth is made preferably ofmetal and possessed of substantial resiliency, the construction,hereinabove described afl'ords conspicuous advantages in the applicationof the girth upon the overlapped binder ends and simplifies materiallythe process of forming a joint therein.

Thus the girth may be made to embrace and maintain itself on theoverlapped strap ends, without either threading it successively on thetwo overlapped strap ends (as would be the case if the girth were formedas a slotted tube as has been a common practice hitherto) or performingbending operations upon the girth in order to cause it to embrace theoverlapped-strap ends.

In the application of my improved girth, it is simply necessary to laythe same on the overlapped strap ends with the flanges down, in theposition shown in Figure 1, and subsequently to press downwardly uponit. Whereupon the recurved surfaces 5, camming over the edges of the topstrap, will yield; the corners 6 will'move downwardly across thelongitudinal edges of the overlapped strap ends, and as soon as they aredisengaged thereby will snap in behind these edges in the position shownin Figure 2. Thus by a simple operation which can be performed in aninstant the girth is applied into embracing relation with the overlappedstrap ends and will maintain itself in such relation.

Further important advantages reside in the construction herein presentedin that the girth is so formed and its parts have such relation to thestrap ends and each other that the girth comes of itself into asubstantially tight embracing relation on the strap in the succeedingoint forming operation. As an illustration; in forming a joint of thespecific character disclosed in Figures 4, 5, and 6, edgewise crimpingis utilized, involvin which in effect selzes the grith and enclosedstrap at the edges and squeezes these edges inwardly each toward theother. Owing to the contour and arrangement of the flanges 4 andrecurved portions thereon 5, it will be apparent that pressure appliedinwardly upon the flange 4 will first bend this flange the applicationof a tool down substantially into contact with the edges of theoverlapped strap; and meanwhile the edges 6 will travel inwardly alongthe under surface of the bottom strap. It follows that the first part ofthejoint forming operation will result in the girth assumingsubstantiall they cross sectional shape indicated in %igure 3, whereinthe girth completely embraces the strap and lies substantially in fiatcontact with its surface to the full extent of the strap area the girthsuperimposes. At this stage the situation is the same as though an openslotted tubular reenforcirig girthhas been threaded successively ontothe two strap ends.

Subsequently a continuation of the edgewise crimping operation may beutilized to produce the joint shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, whereinconjoint interlocking deformations are produced in the girth and theenclosed overlapped strap ends; specifically edgewise crimps in thestrap and girth together. The final stages of the joint formingoperation are effected thus "in a manner the same as that familiar wherethe open slotted tubular sleeve or girth of the prior art has beenutilized.

It is apparent that it is not necessary to utilize the specific type ofjoint-forming operation Whose results are shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6,but that the pressure involved in any crimping or squeezing operationwhich squeezes the strap and girth horizontally or vertically (or both);will.

result in the girth being forced automatically into substantially theconfigurations shown in Figure 3. Thus not only is the application ofthe joint made more simple than hitherto; but the first stage of a strapjoining operation serves also to cause the girth of my inventionsubstantially to duplicate the well known slotted tubular girthheretofore widely in use.

Having described my invention, I claim? 1. As an article of manufacturea substantially channel-shaped reenforcing girth for tensional bindershaving converging portions adapted to yieldingly engage opposite edgesof mutually overlapped strap ends when being applied to both overlappedends simultaneously.

2. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth comprising a backmember; a flange adapted to abut one edge of a box strap; a secondflange opposite the first flange and adapted to yield and recover whenforced over the opposite edge of the box strap.

3. As an article of manufacture, a reenforcing girth, comprising a backmember; a flange adapted to engage with an edge of a box binder; anopposite flange adapted resiliently to snap over the opposite edge whenthe girth is pressed upon the binder to permit the application of thegirth to two mutually overlapped binder ends simultaneously.

4:. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth andseal comprisinga back member and opposite flanges said parts being constructed andarranged so that the girth is adapted to snap over and into embracingrelation with a box strap when applied thereto in a directiontransversely of the face plane of the strap.

5. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth for box strapping orthe like, comprising a somewhat resilient member formed with a backpiece,and opposite flanges adapted to be wedged apart as the girth isapplied to a box strap in a direction oblique to its length, and to snapin behind the outer edge of the face of the strap remote from thedirection of application of the girth.

6. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth for box strapping orthe like comp'rlsin a somewhat resilient member formed with a back pieceadapted to contact with a surface of the box strap, and a pair ofopposite flanges extending substan tially outwardly from the back pieceand having recurved' portions extending inwardly beyond the edges of theback piece; to provide a girth which may be sprung or snapped into placeon two superposed strap lengths simultaneously.

7. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth for box strapping orthe like comprlsin a somewhat resilient member formed with a back pieceadapted to contact with a surface of the box strap,'and a pair ofopposite flanges extending substantially outwardly from the back pieceand having recurved portions extending inwardly beyond the edges of theback piece, said recurved portions sloping on their exposed" faces.toward the back piece.

8. As an article of manufacture a reenforcing girth for box binders orthe like comprising a somewhat resilient member formed with a back pieceadapted to contact with a surface of the binder, and a pair of oppositeflanges extending substantially outwardly' from the back piece andhaving recurved portions extending inwardly beyond the edges of the backpiece, said flanges and recurved portions being adapted to straightenout and come into substantially flat con mar/gaze said binders areinforcing girth loosely fit-' ting upon said superposed portions, thensqueezing the girth into strap end embracing relationship, and forming ajoint involving the girth and the ends by a continuation of thesqueezing operation.

11. As an article of manufacture, asomewhat resilient sheet metalreenforcing girth adapted to serve as an element of a box strap joint,and comprising in combination a back piece, adapted to be applied to the"outer surface of a box strap on a box or the like; a flange thereonadapted to partly underlie and loosely fit upon the under surface ofsaid box strap, said part being so constructed and arranged that thecompression of said girth on the strap is adapted to bend, said flangeportion into a snug contact Withthe under surface of the strap.

12. As an article of manufacture, a reenforcing girth adapted to serveas an element of a box strap joint and comprising in combination a backpiece, adapted to be applied to the outer surface of a box strap on abox or the like; a flange integral with one longitudinal edge of theback piece, and extending first outwardly therefrom and then inwardly,and having a curved cross sectional contour on its inwardly extendingportion, whereby an inner edge is provided,

adapted to contact first with the lower surface of the strap and moveinwardly thereupon under the compression of the girth in the crimpingoperation, to straighten out said flange and bring the same intosubstantially complete superficial contact With the strap surfaces inthe first part of the crimping operation incident to forming a joint.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my' name to this specification.

JOHN W. LESLIE.

